Varzea da Gonçala consists of 8 hectares of hill and meadow land, nestling amongst the hills of the western Algarve, bordered by the Cerca river, 12km from the Atlantic Coast and 6km from Aljezur.

​We offer traditional farmhouse accommodation in this unspoilt corner of Europe, close to the stunning surfing beaches of the West Algarve, under clear starry skies in clean Atlantic air! Please visit the Holiday Accommodation page for details.

Our home is an evolving project, aimed at the creation of a productive and beautiful ecosystem for future generations. The vision is of a diverse and developing tree-based agriculture, not only producing food, from the ground to the canopies, but making a landscape for living, where families can grow and wish to stay, develop, and nurture the land as their friend and provider.

We came here, Chris and Christine Lewis, in August 2006, to a wild and untended landscape, which had been ravaged by a great fire three years previously, with very little infrastructure. Our daughter, Megan, now 9, was born the following year.

​In the years since, our neglected land is steadily developing a productive and healthy ecosystem, and a place where people can come and learn about how to work with nature to bring life to the land and live sustainably.

We believe the future lies in making connection with and understanding the land, realising that we are part of and inseparable from the nature that surrounds and sustains us.

Várzea da Gonçala hosts and runs courses through the year on themes relating to permaculture, ecological gardening, food-foresting, natural building, and sustainable practices.